Chauffer through Heaven

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I have a new hiking buddy.  And a new chauffer – Ralph!

We meet everyday to walk the trails along the Bitterroot River.   It’s fun to share each day’s adventure – watching crows gathered in the winter-bare cottonwoods, hearing pileated woodpeckers drumming overhead, enjoying geese honking on the west shore and sometimes seeing a moose. 

Coco searches the shoreline of the river and channel for feathers.  Usually duck feathers, she pounces on them with adorable enthusiasm.  Some days the hunt is successful, sometimes not, but she gets her feet wet and has fun.  And sometimes we just sit and savor the view.

Though we’ve had basically no winter in Western Montana this year, spring fever is still an issue.  Ralph offered to do a drive yesterday, just to get out of town for a bit, and I gladly accepted – it’s rare I get to be the passenger and gawk at our scenery – a real treat!

Heading south of town, we stopped first for coffee in Darby.   Darby was used a lot in the TV series Yellowstone, and just south of town we passed the Dutton Ranch (really the Chief Joseph Ranch).  We paralleled the Bitterroot River and eventually made the turn to head up the west fork of the river. 

Past pine forest, open meadows, cabins and a gorgeous river we cruised.  The canyons carved into the Bitterroot are dramatic, geologic marvels.  Once upon a time a giant lake covered this part of Montana, and the results of it filling up and gushing out to the west repeatedly are amazing. There are caves in the cliffs and this day a very picturesque frozen waterfall.

I watched for moose in the willows and along incoming creeks.  We watched for big horn sheep, often seen along this stretch, often standing in the road. This day there were none.  But –

A herd of elk surprised us on the south side of the road, grazing in green pastureland.  There must have been 30 in the handsome group, even a few bulls still hanging onto their antlers.  Some of the elk were spotted – hmm?   The bulls watched us carefully.  We snapped pictures like crazy.

Then all of a sudden something from the west end of the pasture got their full attention. They moved as one in a fluid wave, looking over their shoulders as they ran toward the trees.  Nature in action – what a treat!

We continued further on up the hill, past creeks, campgrounds and Painted Rocks Lake.  We’ve had little moisture this winter and it didn’t look like much water left in the lake. What’s left is frozen over. All the stumps from years of clearing poked out of the empty lake bottom, making for a funny picture.

On up past the lake is a buffalo ranch.  So “out west”.  Too early for babies but the massive critters are very handsome and Montana-ish, and more pictures were snapped. 

At some point it was time to head home.  Darn.  Still no sheep on the way home, but every mile of scenery was awesome.   And then, one of my favorites blocked the road – turkeys!  Goofy and pretty, they scampered across the road and gathered to watch us go by on the other side.  Of course, we took more pictures! 

And this whole time, Coco was curled up and sleeping at my feet. 

What a joy to spend a day with a like-minded friend and my sleepy dog enjoying a little corner of heaven !!!  I wish the same for all of you!

Success

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Last weekend I helped get some shelter doggies a little extra exposure.  We took 5 dogs and 3 puppies to a local farm and ranch supply store. 

It was a very brisk morning but we set up in the entrance of the store and got warm and comfortable.  

There was nonstop traffic coming and going from the store.  It was surprising how many people brought one or more dogs with them to help with their shopping – with lots of interaction between dogs, their humans and the shelter’s dogs.  We shared our entry space with a horse rescue operation, all of us happy with the interest and donations from morning shoppers.   We shared our success stories with each other.

I took Luna over to the store.  It was strange having a dog not my own in the van.  She explored it all in our short ride.  Then on arriving at the store she jumped up on the display table to make a mess of the flyers piled there.  And she was so darn cute.

Earlier in the week seven puppies were brought in from an east-side reservation.  There were three left at the time of our outing.  I enjoyed cuddling one for most of the three hours we were at the store.  They were passed around from kids to adults and back many times.  Good for their socialization, though the setting was a bit overwhelming for the little guys.

I didn’t get pics of a couple of the bigger dogs taken to the store earlier, two of which were adopted before I got there.  Such good news!!! 

As I mentioned in a past post, the staff and volunteers at this humane society are so dedicated.  The volunteers spend hours working for the benefit of all the cats and dogs (now there’s some bunnies too).  Doggie play groups are held regardless of weather. 

Dogs are walked throughout the neighborhood and the fairgrounds just down the road. 

 Proper exercise and socializing are so helpful in getting the kids new homes – they’re much more relaxed, friendly, and comfortable with potential new owners.   If you want to make a difference in people’s lives, volunteer with your local humane society!

By the end of the weekend two more puppies and several other dogs went to new homes.  It’s so gratifying to walk down a row of empty kennels.  It’s nice to think I may have assisted in finding loving, forever homes for some deserving 4-legged kids.

Sharing the Woods

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I have a problem.  I admit it.  I’m addicted to moose.  I just can’t help it.  First of all, I was raised in Phoenix.  No moose there.  When I first came to Montana I was in Whitefish, and when I had the first moose in my front yard I was hooked.  Big, gangly, goofy looking thing. And adorable.  I was lucky enough to see them a few times in Glacier National Park – browsing around, tasting trees and shrubs, dipping their noses in the ponds, comfy in their lovely surroundings.  Then after I moved to Washington I saw none.  Withdrawal was hard.  After having to spend almost 10 years in there, I was tickled to come back to Montana, but, for unknown reasons, I never saw a moose in Lake County for the 18 years I was there.  Hmmm. And then I retired and moved to Hamilton.  Wow!

I had no idea that this is moose heaven, for them and for people like me.  The river areas and all the adjoining parks are home to them.  I got here in October and saw my first one in April, posing nicely in an area that, since then, I have probably seen more than 10.   Hard not to get hooked.  I have a new walking buddy, Ralph, and he’s as addicted as I am. 

Here’s Ralph in the trees getting pictures of a bull with his good camera last week –

Here’s samples of what he got that day –

Though I can go months without seeing one, mid-winter through April and maybe none in late summer, they make up for it the rest of the time.  They are big and dark but can be hard to see.  In the spring it’s mamas and babies, sometimes twins!  Often times it’s just cows.  In the fall there are more bulls, but always cows and yearlings to watch.  The males have especially big “bells” or dewlaps hanging off their necks.  Just goofy.

I took pictures of moose 4 times this week. 

Sometimes we see families.  Such a treat.  On Thursday we were surprised when a family came out of the bushes.  They were talking to each other, something I haven’t heard before.  Kind of grunting, whining, nasally sounds.  Probably planning to tease those humans with the cameras.  You gotta watch them – they can be aggressive.  At one point the bull stepped out in front of the cow and calf, right into the trail.  Ralph and I, Coco in tow of course, ran into the alders to clear a path for him.  He watched us closely but moved on.  We giggled and loved it.

It’s a precious gift to be able to go out to the river here, barely out of town, and share the beauty and serenity with the animals that call this home – deer, birds, bears, turtles, etc., etc., etc.  The river plays soft background music and the clouds stay busy painting shadows and highlighting dramatic geology in the canyons of the Bitterroots.

I can’t think of anything to say that is particularly profound or thought provoking about loving moose, but, as is always on my mind, the preservation and protection of such precious and generous creatures needs to be foremost in our minds.  Mining and logging and too many commercial projects can lead to the reduction and desecration of this shared land.  We have to keep it “as is” – for us and for them! 

Thanks to Ralph Bangs for the fun and the pictures!

Tuesday Treat

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My neighbor called me about 6:45 and asked “Are you interested in northern lights?”  Silly question.  Then he sent this picture he took of my house!

I was out the door so fast!!!  This isn’t what I could see as I stepped out but it’s what my camera saw.  OMG!!!

I decided to get out of my tight neighborhood and headed for a dark stretch of road not far from town.  Again, I was surprised that all I could see was vague red fog with a tinge of green.  But I got out the cell phone and wow! You’ve gotta hold the camera REAL STILL to take a shot. Got the big dipper showing off in this third one!

I wonder now how many times I’ve missed the auroras because I didn’t know a camera was necessary.  In the late 90s I drove up to Alaska, and somewhere in the Northwest Territories, just before bed, the horizon began to glow green.  I’d been told that was an indicator of better lights to come.  And when they came I could see them plainly.  Though I had a camera tucked away somewhere, there were no cell phones yet, and the green curtains waved to me as clear and bright as could be. 

A year ago there was an aurora prediction so I drove out and parked at a local cemetery, a lovely dark, spooky place, hoping to be awed by pulsing colors.  The lights never came.  Thinking back, I saw pale lights in the distance, looking like city lights miles away, and now I realize it was auroras, but had never heard of using my camera.  Don’t know how I’ve missed that trick all these years.

Silly me, I didn’t think to take a video, to see if that waving and stretching was happening with these colors.  I’ll pay more attention now what I understand the game. 

It sounds like all of you, in all 50 states, saw some kind of northern lights.  Wasn’t that a treat?!? They showed off a bit on Wednesday but not with the same vigor.  With the next prediction we can all be ready for more dazzling memories.  Our cells are always handy these days 😊

Photographer’s Heaven

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I’m a cell phone picture taker, not sure that qualifies as a photographer, but I’m still in heaven.  😊  Me and Coco go to the river every day, one of three accesses, and I take pictures every time, just can’t help it.  The river runs at the base of the Bitterroot Mountains, and the two of them put on such a good show.  Each season is awesome, and now I’m as pleased as can be to enjoy another autumn. 

There are no deep reds of anything native here, though all the local neighborhoods are splashed with shades of red maples.  Our local birch, willows, cottonwoods and dogwoods still know how to put on a show.  The colors are remarkable and can actually seem to be glowing!

Whether looking straight up through the birch or straight down, where willow leaves paper the ground artistically, there is pretty.  Just leaves floating in a backwater pond are a picture!

The angle of the sun can highlight the number of shades that yellow can come in, or back light with rays of gold.

It seems every few feet there’s another perfect composition.  How to decide?  At one access the river hums slowly by, allowing for reflections that sing out for me to capture them.

Just walking Coco to one of her favorite “get her feet wet” spots, we find scenery begging for attention.  We met a nice couple setting up to fly fish, who graciously posed for the classic Montana shot (and gave permission to use it).

Though it’s easy to enjoy this scenery alone, there are young and old, cell phones users and expensive-equipment photographers, casual walkers and dogs walking their owners out enjoying the display.  It’s fun to share and exclaim over the marvels before us, savoring what we can before the next show starts.  I hope you enjoyed it too!

A New Adventure

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It didn’t take me long to discover that retirement is the best invention ever!  Sleeping in is the best benefit 😊  I also moved as I retired so I’m still a little busy with that.  Moving is one adventure I’d like to skip for a while, but in the last few months I’m pretty settled in with most everything sorted, decorated, stashed or given away.  My latest book is all done, just waiting for my dream publisher to snatch it up, so one of the things on my “after I’m all caught up” list was dog walking.

The Bitterroot Humane Society is just down the street from me.  There are always folks out walking dogs, but I notice people walking big dogs, somehow differently than an owner?  I’ve chatted with a few and, yep, they’re out walking shelter dogs.  The humane society here is a no-kill shelter, and they take in orphaned dogs and cats from all over the country.  The most recent influx was flown in by Dog is My Copilot from Texas, so there are 25 dogs here now, all looking for love and attention. My first dog was Banjo 🙂

I went out a couple times with another shelter volunteer, and learned some of the ins and outs of how dogs are “graded”, depending on overall temperament, how they do on a leash, how they get along with other dogs and, of course, with people.  Luckily, I know the neighborhood and know what side streets to avoid or fences to pass by from the other side of the street because of resident dogs that are not very friendly.  There’s a sweet man who leaves a water dish out for our walks so I try to go by there at some point on our walks. 

There’s a lot to consider when deciding to volunteer at a shelter.  There are a couple dozen desperate faces watching me as I go through the hallway running along the kennel area.  There is a lot of barking and frustrated noises. 

The pretty girl in the above picture has 3 legs. She does fine but it breaks your heart.

From the list of dogs to be walked by newbies like me, I’ve met some great dogs.   Each one has a story, an adorable face and their own personality.  Though staff may know, I have to wonder how and why they ended up there.  How soon someone will take them to their forever homes?   The average turnaround is 7 days, which is awesome, but there are exceptions that break my heart. 

So far I’ve walked King (in a forever home now), Dozer, Rosie and Banjo (also in a forever home) and a couple others.  Puppies get played with in a small yard.  It’s a joy to have a big doggie recognize me, anxious to poke his head through the proffered leash so we can go exploring together.  It’s also a joy to go into the kennels and find out that one of my buddies has gone to a good home – yay!

The time and energy spent by other volunteers is amazing and inspiring.  Some spend 30 hours a week helping with all the aspects of caring for animals (managing food, cleaning, walking, etc.).  I’ve started “training” to participate in play groups and it’s a special group of volunteers that manage these.  The goal is to get as many doggies exercised, socialized and worn out as possible. 

My own dog doesn’t get to run and play like this!  Certainly, there can be issues.  There are dominance issues, not-yet-fixed issues, and just plain nastiness, as dogs will be dogs.  There are a number of commands and the monitors have spray bottles that seem to break up any concerning encounters. 

From what I’ve seen so far, I can’t imagine anything better for these dogs.  I’m anxious to do all I can for all the deserving 4-legged kids.  It’s mutually beneficial, for sure.  Another benefit of retirement!!!

Sweet Souvenirs

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It’s been too long since I’ve been to my lake west of Whitefish.  After our rainy camp out with the kayak in the van on the 4th of July, we needed a redo.

I’ve been going to this lake for over 30 years.  It’s comforting to know that some places never change, and my lake with the beaver lodge and scenic hikes has hardly changed at all – a phenomenon these days.   

I even got our favorite camping spot.  The other four spots stayed empty until late, always nice.  And this time we had exquisite weather.

I’ve just about gotten the inflatable kayak figured out.  Fast set up gets us out on the lake quickly so exploring can begin.  Not that I don’t know every curve and inset along the shore of this lake.  All my dogs have been out there with me and every time is a gift to be remembered.  This day we saw deer and ducks and a few fishermen.  The mountains put on a deep green summer show with billowy white clouds to enhance the blue sky.

For leg exercise, we did two hikes that took us back to little pocket lakes. Loons greeted us on one but the other we had to ourselves. Luckily no lions or bears. And I noticed serviceberries were ripe, early this year. I picked a few huckleberries as we trekked along but, like we found over the holiday at the spot in the Bitterroots, too small to attempt picking a good haul. But the serviceberries were prolific and fat so, yep, I picked a nice bunch, yummy souvenirs. I sang John Denver songs loudly to let the bears know I was there. So far that’s always worked and I’m sure John looks down knowing why any bears run away fast.

I always take home souvenirs.  It seems the beaver lodge is deserted, hard to know, but the lake is down enough that we could walk out and poke around on it a bit.  I always pick up an old piece of wood with beaver teeth marks and I picked a little wild mint.

A very successful camping trip – more than makes up for last time.  We did a lovely local hike right after we got home and stocked up on more berries and then the cooking began.  I’d rather have yummy syrup than jam and my efforts played out nicely.  Now we have more sweet souvenirs – memorable and edible!

Fourth of July Escape

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I know I’m in a minority, unless you consider how many pet owners have a problem with fireworks, but I don’t understand the need to make extreme noise for a week around July 4.   So I did a little research, got input from a Forest Service friend, loaded up the kayak and camping equipment, and headed into the Bitterroots, the best escape.

The trip didn’t go as planned.  Very odd on the 4th of July to have steady rain and a chill in the air.  We enjoyed the scenery on the way up though, peaceful woods, dramatic mountains, happily running creeks.  I couldn’t wait to get out in the kayak. 

And then we came to the muddy trench.  I didn’t dare try to cross it in my van.  Sometimes I really miss my Tacoma. 

So back to Lost Horse Creek we went.  We got a lovely spot, a primitive camping spot – no facilities.  And it was still raining.

We took a couple of lovely walks.  There were other campers but none of them ventured out for walks on the Forest Service roads or intriguing trails headed through the thick summer growth.  I had a jacket but Coco got soaked.  She had energy though, and enjoyed exploring new smells, holes in the ground, and the chipmunks darting into the undergrowth.  Just going through or around trails and paths to the creek, my pants were soaked.  I persisted on having fun.  The occasional king fisher flying over the creek or a flicker changing pine trees added some color to the scenery.

Surprisingly, huckleberries were prolific and ripe, very early for them.  Hillsides under the forest were thick with bushes.  The berries were too tiny for quick collection, so I just picked enough for breakfast when we got back.

I organized the van as best I could.  I have an inflatable kayak now.  With weather, no table, and wet sand and mud, I didn’t want to put it outside.  So, with both of us in the van listening to rain drum the roof, I maneuvered our camping mattress on top of the kayak, propping up corners with my suitcase, bags of food, and kayak equipment hoping for a comfortable night’s sleep.  Silly me.

Before and after:

It doesn’t get dark until after 10:00 in Montana these days.  I had plenty of food and reading material and tried to make the most of our van time.  Coco was always glad for a nap and to dry out, a bit, while I curled up with a book.  It was funny reading about the search for the Lost Dutchman Mine in the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix – about as far away as I could imagine in that moment.

We crawled into bed during late dusk.   The rain had quit but there was no pretty sunset to finish the day.  Maybe you remember from past blogs – I used to live in the woods, several acres of pines and fir.  The sounds and fragrance are unmatched.  I miss dawns and dusks with the light filtered through the trees.  So despite the challenging circumstances, sleeping in the pines and no-firework silence was perfect!

The Colors of Spring

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There’s not much prettier than a fresh snowfall in the woods, across the mountains, or in my back yard – clean, fresh, brilliant.  But as we go into mud mode at the end of that season we realize we’re ready for some color and warmth.  And it’s always spectacular.

Walks and hikes this time of year are like treasure hunts.  It’s fun to find the first white trillium, mixed in with fading yellow glacier lilies, and comment on its beauty.  Then you notice clematis, bashfully keeping their lavender heads down, eventually to lift up and show off their faces. 

Honeysuckle and serviceberry display their soft pinks and whites up close at eye level.   And this is just in the woods.

At home the changes seem slow, leaves and flowers slowly peeking out, enduring a few cold nights, many chilly winds.  And then it happens.  Color is everywhere.

Purples and lavenders are my favorite! 

Even the greens on greens are a banquet to be savored.  In the foreground the daffodils make room for the tulips who make room for the iris.  Lilacs wave block after block in my neighborhood, tempting the deer to walk down peopled streets, showing off pinks, whites and purples.

The omnipresent dandelions are a spring treat to butterflies. 

Even the white left on the high peaks adds to the spring’s beauty, topping off the greening hills.  Then the rain comes, and the creeks and rivers swell with frothy white.  This season can be noisy too! (sorry, the program won’t let me download a loud video)

Spring weather is full of anticipated color and wonder.   Do we love winter any less?  No, its white and icy presence is precious too.  Colors will fade as we move through the summer but there’s always the fall to paint colors and enjoy.  For now we’ll marvel at every imaginable color and be ready as the next season waits to dazzle us!

Winter Exercise

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Winter finally arrived in Northwest Montana this month.  Big time in my little town.  Certainly beautiful.  Certainly a challenge.  Where to put all this snow!?! 

Normal walks are over for now.  Exercise comes mostly in the way of shoveling, though I have a great neighbor who keeps my driveway snow-blown clear for me.  But there’s always shoveling.  First, I had to clear paths for my little dog to do her “thing.”  At one point there were 20 inches in our back yard.  Some days her trenches had to be shoveled out 3 times.  The snow just wouldn’t stop.  And sometimes re-shoveling is necessary when the city snow plow throws snow over your freshly shoveled walk ☹

I haven’t skied or snowshoed in years but still venture out and get my exercise, always with my dog. And always after strapping on boot cleats, as the ice can be terrible and not always obvious.  Paths at river accesses get trampled pretty quickly and we love exploring the current white world, so different from the green or gold backdrops we’ve seen along the river in other months. 

Coco’s usual path to her play spot at the river hadn’t been trampled down yet the other day, but I wanted pictures of the crystals in the water so we went off road.  She’s a tough Montana girl and plunged through the snow behind me. 

And we found a bit of open water for her to get her feet wet and lap a very cold drink.  I love the pics I got.  Then we had to trudge back through our deep path to the regular trail.  It’s heavy, like wet beach sand.  It’s good for both of us 😊

I worry about ducks in our frozen canals.  Footprints are everywhere, searching, and some days there’s no open water. I guess flying around looking for open water is good exercise for ducks and geese but it must be hard. 

I know where a little muskrat lives, in a small hole inches above water level.  It’s been frozen over for 2 weeks now.  I wonder how he gets out and around and finds food?  Winter is a challenge.

Winter uses its talents differently than other seasons, changing water into art – in the water, on the ground, on roofs, dripping off roofs, on trees and windows. 

Some of it requires exercise to enjoy but it’s worth it.  Tradeoffs to everything.  I think we’ll bundle up right now and head out to see what kind of magic awaits our efforts to get there 😊